“I don’t have a head coach right now so there is a lot going on,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m going to take some time, figure it out. Our owner and president, Michael Bidwill, and General Manager Steve Keim are out right now interviewing head coaches. I’m interested to see what is going to happen and I’ll make a decision shortly after (they get a coach), I would imagine.”

It seems that this time of year, Fitz often talks about his future on the golf course. It makes sense, since a) his future has been up in the air in January and b) Fitz’s time in public in January is usually on the golf course. (And Fitz will be out doing things at the Phoenix Open in a couple of weeks too.) Again, there is a holding pattern that was going to be expected while the Cards sort out the coaching situation. Then Fitz can get an idea not only of personality but also how how he might be used in a new system.

UPDATE: Later in the day, Fitz had an interview with the NFL Network. His retirement has nothing to do with Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer, he stressed, and “I’ll go as long as I feel I can play at a high level.”

Whatever you decide, it been a privilege watching you! I am sure you want a ring badly, and that will not happen in AZ. If you do decide to move, hopefully its a team that can win a SB like the Patriots etc. Only thing left for you to accomplish – A great player in a sadly bad organization! Cheers to Fitzmania!

– It’s an exciting yet uneasy time right now for all involved and us long time fans. Patiently waiting for credible word on who the Cards might bring in to take the reins. Hoping Larry stays on for one more year, as he too waits for who comes on board.

– With the constant surge of media reports and various scenarios that could take place with coaching decisions by “insiders” it can be difficult to discern which are credible. But if anything they make it interesting. So we all wait for the Official Word “AZ Cardinals New Hire ???”..

– Good to hear MB along with SK will take their time making there selection. Opting to wait till the future HC separates himself from his peers during these interviews. It worked out in the past to wait, but as fans it’s difficult to not push that fast-forward button in time and have all the answers now. Sadly we can’t, the process is the process, future new coaches are still working sidelines. This is where we want to be and it kills.

– Here’s to hoping they bring in strong leadership. It starts with HC, OC, DC and ST. Then quality players. Too many times multiple phases of the game struggled at same or different times and were inconsistent. It’ll be interesting to see what a new vision, schemes, and personnel can do.

Not easy to find Coaches/leaders who can first teach, then guide and push groups of men to accomplish the task of winning. It’s few the individuals that are successful at both leading and winning/succeeding in there profession. But that’s why they get paid the Big Bucks.

We needed a change, we didn’t win enough unfortunately with BA or his staff. As great a personality as he was it’s all about wins and a championship at the end. We thank them all, time to move on.

Here is the opportunity to take the talent we have, add a few more integral pieces and we can make a run for it. Whoever that maybe I hope it’s backed by wins in their resume. I’m all about the stats, bring in winners. Potential in the past was fun for a time, but enough of that. Let’s get some quality people here if we want to win. Go get the good guys, the guys that may cost you up front in draft picks but will show up with the team in the win columns. Why save so many picks if most mid to low rounders haven’t panned out. Hopefully SK chooses Quality vs Quantity (measurables) this time..

Why doesn’t Keim get creative in other ways by signing Calvin Johnson. Then sign an O-Lineman. Keep Stanton, he is a great teammate and backup. Get Alex Smith and then draft Lamar Jackson or another mobile quarterback who can move the pocket when the strong DLs of the NFC west come knocking. Alex Smith knows how to play QB in the NFL. If he had Larry and Megatron and they were making one last run together…….why not?

is there any potential hc that would upon being hired by cards not IMMEDIATELY reach out to larry and try to convince him to come back? as great as larry is one would think that new coach would find a way to get him 100 catches WITHOUT blocking so much.

I could see Larry going from the gridiron to the Pro golf circuit without a blink of an eye, which would feed his competitive nature while giving him the opportunity to travel and play the great courses of the world, making some money but, at the same time affording him the luxury of picking & choosing which tournaments he wants to participate in w/o the grind of training camp & having your career dictated by others, how you will be used, and defining your future role.
I can’t see what would motivate him to return when money is not an issue & he has the world at his feet,is still healthy & primed for his “next chapter”.
Certainly if he returns, it will be a big affirmation for whoever is named the new head coach.

Now in the midst of making his third head coaching hire as president and CEO of the Arizona Cardinals, Michael Bidwill is at a crossroad.

He says that the nine candidates he and GM Steve Keim have interviewed over the past two weeks are the finest group of candidates he’s ever seen. If local reports are accurate, apparently Bidwill and Keim have narrowed their search down to three finalists: Pat Shurmur, Steve Wilks and Mike Munchak.

Bidwill vows to take a methodical approach in order to find “the right fit.”

He wishes to host all three finalists on visits to Arizona so that he can show them the Cardinals’ state-of-the-art facilities, to dig deeper into what makes each candidate tick and to see what kind of camaraderie he and Keim sense while trading stories over steaks and Merlot.

Here is what Ian Rapoport wrote today in his twitter blog:

Arizona Cardinals

“This is the most open and methodical search, with owner Michael Bidwill stating publicly he’s taking his time. Expect full second-round interviews and no fast deadline. Shurmur is expected to be one finalist, and Wilks and Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak are well-regarded in Arizona. They could be finalists, as well. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher is the top in-house candidate, and Bruce Arians has stumped for him. Based on their deliberate pace, Arizona does face the prospect of losing out on a preferred candidate (possibly Shurmur) if the Vikings lose and they don’t accelerate their search. That said, the last candidate they interviewed during their previous search — Bruce Arians — worked out just fine.”

Notice Rapoport’s caveat: “Arizona does face the prospect of losing out on a preferred candidate (possibly Shurmur) if the Vikings lose and they don’t accelerate their search.”

As Shakespeare would say, “the tide waits for no one.”

Bidwill maintains that his deliberate search in 2013, waiting to be the last of 8 teams to hire new head coaches was a boon. Rapoport corroborates this by saying “their previous search—worked out just fine.”

Which begs the question—is a 1-2 playoff record over the past five years a scenario that worked out just fine? Even by Bruce Arians’ own All or Nothing standards, despite an impressive 50 wins and one NFC West title, a 1-2 playoff record over the past five years doesn’t exactly feel like things worked out just fine.

Bidwill also has to be wondering why the Cardinals could not maintain a level of success under Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians.

The pattern here is alarming. Once each coach started winning, Bidwill awarded them and their staffs lucrative contract extensions…and in both cases those decisions backfired. Whisenhunt’s last two years were poor. Arians’ were, by comparison, a little more tolerable due to late season wins in meaningless games, but still, the Cardinals went from being a Super Bowl contender right back to being the underachieving, self-destructive Cardinals of old.

In both cases, Bidwill has shown his willingness to eat the contracts of the coaches who have years remaining. But that’s certainly a pattern he would like to avoid, if possible, in the future. It wouldn’t be surprising, in light of Bidwill’s generosity, if he gave BA a nice little severance package in aiding BA’s decision to retire. Regardless, Bidwill is willing to push forward even when it means paying backward.

Bidwill also has to be wondering what went wrong in the years following the team’s biggest successes. After losing to the Steelers in the Super Bowl, the following off-season was a near disaster. Kurt Warner was so underwhelmed by the Cardinals contract offer that he and his wife flew to San Francisco to be wooed by the 49ers. Yes, Warner wound up staying in Arizona, but Warner recently admitted that by mid-season of the next year he and his wife knew it would be his last, even though he signed a two year contract. Warner also admitted a long time ago that the contract negotiations were demoralizing.

The off-season following the Cardinals’ embarrassing loss to Carolina in the NFC Championship game was in some ways equally disappointing, especially in considering a draft which included Bidwill’s own approval of taking DT Robert Nkemdiche in the 1st round and CB Brandon Williams in the 3rd round. Even though the #2 CB position has been a glaring weakness for years, the FO and the coaches felt that Justin Bethel (whom they had signed to a $5+M a year contract) was the answer at that critical and most vulnerable spot. As we know, Bethel waited too long to get surgery on his foot, missed training camp and the super raw (rushed in there way too soon) Williams started game one versus the Patriots and got toasted. BA would later call Bethel a “failure in progress” and would later concede that the opening night loss to the Patriots, aided and abetted by Steve Keim’s decision to go with an undrafted rookie long snapper, was a loss the team could never recover from.

The reality is that the Cardinals, throughout their history as a franchise, have not been able to sustain a level of success for more than three years. The tenures of Bidwill’s first two head coaching hires ended the same way…on down years with each coach claiming “the system works” or “we don’t change for anybody.”

Bidwill and Keim avow they want to build a team that is a Super Bowl contender every year. Keim asserts that he “owes it to the fans.”

However, are Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim assertive enough in the way that they approach their work? This year it was reported that Bidwill had his eye on Sean McVay last year when BA’s health was in question. It was impressive to hear that—but it feels the same it felt when Steve Keim said he had a high grade on Russell Wilson and the Cardinals almost took him on day 2 of the 2012 draft…hmmm the same he year they drafted Ryan Lindley instead.

As we know, McVay is up for coach of the year honors for leading the Rams to the NFC West title. Yet, Bidwill made a curious statement in his most recent press conference when he said, “We don’t copycat anyone.” One must imagine that was in reference to this year’s young, energetic and upcoming HC candidate, John DeFilippo…curious too that a week prior to BA’s retirement, the buzz was that if BA retires Bidwill and Keim are interested in two possible candidates: Bill O’Brien (if let go by the Texans) and John DeFilippo.

Who wouldn’t want a young catalyst like Sean McVay?

Who could care less if it is perceived as copycatting?

Maybe Bidwill was trying to justify why DeFilippo is not one of the three reported finalists?

But this is a significant hire for Bidwill. With the Cardinals sinking toward the bottom of the NFC West, it would be extremely refreshing if he and Steve Keim know exactly who what coach want and they go after that coach with every ounce of aggressiveness and conviction they have.

The let’s wait and see, deliberate approach smacks of indecision. And as they say, “over-analysis causes paralysis.”

And if the Cardinals pick their head coach last again this time, the worry is, as Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker wailed:

I went down to the crossroads
Tried to flag a ride
Down to the crossroads
Tried to flag a ride
Nobody seemed to know me
Everybody passed me by

When a player retires and still has years left on their contract, they belong to that team. Calvin Johnson can not be signed by any team. He is a Lion. If he wanted to come back and play for someone else, he would need to be traded and the new team would take on the remaining contract. BTW, Calvin Johnson’s salary was 20 million a year.

He will return. When you are done, you know it. For him to say, let me see who the coach is, tells me he still wants to play.

Larry is a smart guy. He sees the short list of coaches the cards are looking at. Maybe there is someone on the list that he doesn’t want to play for, so he is hesitant. But, I think when everything is said and done, he is back.

Clssy, pro football and pro golf are light years apart (not saying one is better than the other) – like any pro sport, success in one does not automatically translate to success in the other, ahem Michael Jordan. Or, more specific example, Tony Romo’s (apparently a scratch golfer) attempt at the U.S. Open. Not saying it couldn’t happen, especially with Larry’s work ethic and commitment if he was willing to put the time in, but he couldn’t just show up, put a tee in the ground and expect a nice retirement check each week.

As I see it, the ideal situation would be to hire Shermer and have him bring Keenan as the bridge quarterback while drafting a young QB to groom. Hiring Shermer would also make Fitz happy and probably bring him back one more year.

I like Brian Flores’s resume, excellent qualifications, is a player’s coach, young and knows the way to the SB (three rings). He’s worked for the Patriots from scouting to various position coaches under Bellichick so couldn’t be a dummy!
We’ve got most of our assets on defense so he could make up for any shortcomings on offense with a killer defense!
Yes, I like the sounds of that!
Just wonder what he would do for an OC?

According to our favorite NFL insider! Ian Rappaport, New England Patriots Line backers coach Brian Flores is going to be the Cardinals Head Coach. Also according to Ian, our next head coach is Pat Shurmur. Ian also says its Steve Wilks. Wait I thought I saw Ian also say ESPN reporter Josh Weinfuss is in consideration for the head coaching job as well? If Weinfuss is our next head coach Fitz should retire asap!

I remember the speculation after Coach Whiz got let go, that our next head coach was going to be Josh McDaniels and that McCoy guy. Wonder where these “insiders” get their sources from??? If it isnt from Adam Schefter than for me it isnt true!

Then again…..based on the season he just had, it would seem clear that he DOES know he can still play at a high level. Granted, there doesn’t have to be a rush but if he knows that now, why a delay in his making a decision unless it DOES matter who the coach is going to be, who the QB is going to be, what his role in the offense will be, etc?

I think these things DO matter and WILL definitely be part of the decision. And, really, they SHOULD be.

This is ridiculous, and we wonder why we are laughing stock in the NFL, a seriously bad organization to say the least. Coaching AZ Cardinals aint a coveted position, no matter what Bidwell does we will still be a crappy team without proper management and players, and if fans still dont get it then, hell! Getting a coach shouldnt have taken this long – and we are making Fitz wait so he decides on his career is ridiculous – again a great player who might just end up retiring for a absolutely pathetic organization who cant even get a head coach thus far.

And i bloody dont care the amount of thumbs down I get – i am just pissed that a player like fitz will end up retiring without a ring for a such a bad organization. Get a BLOODY coach already!

Just a note: The Cardinals today are light years ahead of where they were ten years ago. This is a crossroads. But the choice finally is STAYING on track or veering off, not how to get on track. Also, a new head coach means a whole new philosophy, so while I like Stanton well enough, especially as a veteran BACK-UP, his experience under Arians doesn’t really mean anything. I’d probably keep Gabbert over Stanton but only for low back up money, no potential starter money for either. I’m intrigued by Alex Smith. But I was a Pat Haden fan so…

Hey “Larry”… in case you ever read anything said in here, please give us die-hard fans of yours one more year.. at least. You are the heart and soul of the team man, family wears your jerseys, love to see you play; just won’t be the same Cardinals without you!
Btw, at home watching any other games/teams, when we see a so-called top receiver drop or miss a semi-difficult catch on TV, we all say that “Fitz” would have caught that one… 😉

Holy cow, man….you do realize that ANYONE employed by any of the teams still playing CAN’T BE HIRED UNTIL THEIR SEASON IS DONE, don’t you?

That’s NFL 101, man. It’s kinda like this every year for the teams looking for coaches.

Have ya noticed that most other teams looking for a head coach haven’t hired one yet, either??? That’s why Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels, Pat Shurmur ( who has been mentioned often in regard to the Cardinals ) haven’t been hired yet.

So, yeah, most times, it DOES have to take this long. But most people know that.

The Cardinals are not a laughingstock because they are being patient with their coaching search. They may be because of rants like yours, however….

In other news…..they are a very good team from top to bottom but it is kinda nauseating to see the Eagles moving on to the NFC title game with – you REALLY gotta be kidding me – Nick Foles??!!

Please.

I give the Eagles coaching staff TREMENDOUS credit for their play-calling yesterday because it was masterful. But I also think the Falcons defense just faded and died in the 2nd half of that game. And at a certain point, I think they were just worn out. Their offense couldn’t sustain anything and the defense just coming back on the field. The Eagles sustained two consecutive drives that ate a lot of time and during both, it seemed like the Eagles were doing anything they wanted. My wife and I were listening to the 2nd half in the car en route to a gathering and I’m wondering to myself where the hell is the Falcons defense?? They’re not stopping ANYTHING!

Seemed like just another in a long line of domed teams that just goes belly up in the cold in January. It really wouldn’t have taken much to beat the Eagles yesterday but the Falcons couldn’t even manage “not much.”

I always hate to see the Eagles move on but….they sure as hell were more deserving than the Falcons were last night. Matt Ryan is starting to build a reputation as a guy that kinda fades in the big games.

Saints – Vikings should be a doozy. I’m not even watching Steelers / Jaguars. There is just NO ONE in the AFC that can challenge the Patriots, so I’m looking at that game as one that hardly even matters.

Um, contrary to my previous claim, I AM watching the Jags / Steelers game and I’m REAL glad I put the TV on! Wow. Unlike the Falcons yesterday, the Jags are BRINGING IT in the cold!! Hey, good for them.

Damn, Steelers just scored! This game is almost as much fun as that Cards / Packers game back in 2009. ALMOST.

Gotta say, it is still very hard to believe in Bortles. And, really, I don’t. But this game is a blast!

Some questions for the new HC:
Will you use the TE as a receiver (see Gronk) or just as a blocker?
Will you ask Keim to draft bigger WRs than the smurfs that Arians liked?
Will you hire a STs Coach who actually knows what he’s doing?
Will you hire an OC or call the plays yourself?
Will you play your first string players in the Preseason or let them sit on the bench?
More to follow…………..

Munchak—his OL did an excellent job today versus one of the elite front 7s in the NFL. Big Ben held the ball too long on the fumble. It’s not Munchak’s fault that on both 4th and inches the OC and/or HC inexplicably don’t run a QB sneak with a Pro Bowl C and a 6-5 235 pound QB. Munch’s RT gets injured in the first half and his replacement was solid.

Shurmur—up until the sack on the time consuming opening drive of the 3rd quarter, everything was Shurmur’s and Keenum’s way. Then the play calling got a little tentative, especially after Keenum threw up the bad interception. But, when the Saints got the lead at 21-20, Shurur and Keenum put together a very good drive that led to Horbath’s go-ahead FG.

What a miracle finish. Credit Mike Zimmer for using his timeouts with 35 seconds left. Some coaches would have allowed the clock to go down to 3 seconds and pin the game ion the last FG. Then, credit Stephon Diggs for having the presence of mind to not step out of bounds to try to stop the clock, which one would imagine he was coached to do. Marcus Williams clearly tried to avoid contact and PI call, but obviously didn’t have the experience to play it safe. Maybe he assumed Diggs would just run out of bounds to stop the clock?

Shurmur is just as Keenum described him—very cool, calm and collected. He has his work cut out for him in Philly versus their defense, led by another Cardinals’ HC candidate Jim Schwartz. On the other side of the ball, if Doug Peterson and John DeFilippo can coach up Nick Foles again this week in taking on Mike Zimmer’s outstanding defense, then it’s quite possible that JDF will re-emerge as a HC candidate.

PLEASE NOT Mike Murncheck!
Some amazing games today, SO happy for Calais Campbell! Looks like he may have a shot at that ring that got away after all. Too bad it wasn’t with Fitz but he made a great move going to FA. Congratulations to the big man, wish our GM could build a roster like that!
@Scott…
Why all the hate for Foles? He had one of the highest QB ratings in the NFL when he played for Chip Kelly. He & Case Keemun both hit rock bottom with Fisher & much like Carson Palmer saw a rebirth in their careers with a new team.
Things are not looking bright for the Cards…so much for “the right situation” to keep Fitz out of retirement.

Calais definitely decided well when he chose the Jags over the Broncos and Cardinals. He said they could compete for a title and he was right and he was right that he could get good stats in that division. I think he had 14.5. Prophetic.

You often interpret my posts as hating……strong word. But I don’t “hate” Foles. I just don’t believe in him. And, frankly, neither did many people out here in Philly for the past month or so. People out here were nervous as hell that they were going to be one and done with Foles. SO much of the talk from the fans and media was about how the Eagles had to step up with their defense, their run game, their special teams, etc. In other words, they were thinking they just needed their QB to stay out of the way for 60 min so the rest of the team could take care of it.

And how do you blame THEM? Foles has looked pretty bad since he took over. And he really did nothing special on Sat, either. If the Falcons manage 2 FG’s somewhere along the way, they win that game.

And as for what Foles did with Chip Kelly…..please. The Chip Kelly thing lost its luster out here in Philly REAL quick. His act fared no better in San Fran, either. Both he AND Foles disappeared after that one “magical” season that Foles would NEVER be able to replicate even if he played for 20 more years.

Foles is just a very nothing-special QB, in my humble opinion. And his numbers this year would support that. He played good against the Giants – just like every other QB that played the Giants this year. In the games against Oakland and Dallas, he was flat out below average, more INT’s than TD’s.

It’s not hate. If the Eagles had needed to play a 16 game season with Foles, are they ANYWHERE near an NFC title game right now?? No. They’re 8-8, at best. Not even a playoff team.

Pat Shurmur said he felt a good connection with the Giants’ brass when they interviewed him. Typically coaches being interviewed during the playoffs whose teams are still in the running will downplay their interest in other teams to the media. Typically coaches will say they chief focus right now is on the next game. In all likelihood, Shurmur was sending a wink to the Giants.

Shurmur would prefer the Giants—not only because the Giants currently have a stronger roster than the Cardinals and they have the #2 pick in the draft—but Shurmur has strong Philly ties (coached there for years) and the Giants are really a New Jersey team. Secondly, his son Kyle is the starting QB at Vanderbilt, which would make living on the East coast more desirable. In fact, maybe with Mike Mularkey’s firing, the Titans are planning to make a move for Shurmur. What a unique opportunity it would be for hi and his family to be close to his son at Vanderbilt.

All this said, odds are—the Cardinals may not even get the chance for a second interview with Pat Shurmur.

So, if true, where does this leave the Cardinals with their search?

This week they will have the chance to host Steve Wilks and Mike Munchak for 2nd interviews. Perhaps MB&SK will consider hosting Keith Armstrong, per BA’s recommendation. Armstrong’s STs were very good in LA and at Philly.

Wilks’ candidacy has a bit of a cloud over it right now—despite his long-time association with the Giants’ new GM Dave Gettleman, Wilks fumbled his interview with the Giants, otherwise he would have at least been considered one of the finalists. Then there was the mysterious cancellation of his visit with the Colts.

Fact is—Wilks and Munchak have only garnered genuine interest from the Cardinals. Same for in-house candidate James Bettcher.

Wilks has a strong presence…he’s passionate and highly aggressive. He takes no sh– from anyone and makes no excuses. He holds all players accountable. The players respect him for that.

Munchak is also an alpha type coach. Very much his own man and coaches with confidence and conviction.

Wills could help turn the Cardinals’ defense into a juggernaut.

Munchak could help turn one of the Cardinals long-standing weaknesses, the offensive line, into a much needed strength.

But, what is less clear in both Wilks’ and Munchak’s cases is how well their hires would aid and abet the Cardinals’ QBOF selection process and development.

Reports are that Wilks has John DeFilippo lined up to be his OC. But chances are—the Cardinals are going to have some competition in signing JDF. What if Pat Shurmur wants him in New Jersey? What if Matt Patricia wants him in Detroit? What if other teams come calling?

Thus this leads to the question of the day—would the Cardinals be best off, especially in terms of the QBOF situation to hire John DeFilippo as head coach and with Steve Keim’s help, work on surrounding him with the right coaching staff?

DeFilippo will be an NFL head coach sooner rather than later. If he’s hired as OC, how long will it be before he gets a HC gig?

Wouldn’t the Cardinals be better off ensuring that the QBOF is in the best hands and playing in the same system for at least the next four years, and possibly for over a decade?

There are plenty of good defensive coaches out there to pair with JDF. How about Chuck Pagano? How about Steve Spagnuolo? How about JDF bringing the Eagles’ highly regarded CB coach, Cory Undlin (14 years NFL experience) with him as DC? How about Adam Zimmer (Mike’s son—-LB coach—12 years NFL experience)?

If Brian Flores isn’t promoted to DC by the Patriots, how about signing him to be the DC?

Whether Steve Keim wants to admit it or not, the Cardinals are in a rebuilding phase, particularly on offense. Why not hire the most qualified QB coach they can? DeFilippo’s track record with QBs is very impressive. His work with Carson Wentz and now Nick Folk has been outstanding.

Steve Keim—are the Cardinals finally going to draft a QBOF? If the answer is yes, why not hire the best QB coach you can find? Until the Cardinals have a QB who can lock horns with Wilson, Goff and Garoppolo, it is going to be tough to outscore their rivals, no matter how good the defense may be.

Michael Bidwill—if you can’t sign Pat Shurmur, how about signing John DeFilippo as HC and build a highly competent staff around him and get to work on deciding who the QBOF will be. Some people might think that’s copycatting. Who cares, if you put your QBOF in the best hands?

If I were the Saints GM, after resigning Brees, if they could find the $ to Resign A. Okafor at DE, look to bring back J. Graham at TE, who will be released by Seattle this spring, that team could go a serious 3 plus year playoff run. Most likely Will have to push some cap to future years. The’re past draft class was a home run. Tons of talent on their squad on both sides.

It has been announced that both the Colts and the Giants have announced HC hires (Josh McDaniel & Pat Shumur respectively) & with The Titans now looking for a HC, I’m concerned that the Cards are going to be left with what’s leftover. I believe in being thorough but usually the “right guy” is the guy who has the chemistry to make an instant connection, and all the talk about being “aggressive” is beginning to sound like more excuses.
I guess we’ll soon find out just what an attractive job this really is.

Holy Cow Man, if you dont know the difference between a rant and reality, then seriously you need to stop writing half the rubbish that you keep writing over here! But hey, I dont call people out unless they deserved to be called out! Case and Point – YOU!

BTW, both Josh McDaniels and Shurmer are off the market, if Cards had to finalize a COACH, they would have done that! , it doesnt require NFL 101 – it requires urgency and the need to be a good organization which looks like this organization is light years away. And having fans like you — well rubbish is as rubbish goes and YES , we have been a laughing stock for years in the NFL, time to get our of your bubble and smell reality.

Darren….
I know that, but as Scott says, “just reporting what I read”. Perhaps you should enlighten your buddy Mike Jurecki, of his premature announcement via Twitter.
Apparently this is not exactly “breaking news” judging by the comments of others.

I HOPE Keenum makes it because I can’t stand the Eagles and also can’t stand the thought of a pure back-up caliber QB like Nick Foles playing in a SB.

Yeah, I realize that Keenum has kinda come from nowhere, but…..he HAS played very well for that team all year and he IS a big part of the reason why they are where they are right now – unlike Foles.

Bortles? No. He scares me! He scares me because he is so erratic and can play SO god-awfully bad at times. He can also play very bad for 3 quarters, then go off in the 4th. Seems like every time I turn around, he has more yards rushing than passing!

No, when it comes to the SB, I want to see greatness. And that means I want to see Tom Brady. And until Brady stops being the best QB on the planet, I want to see Tom Brady and the Patriots in the SB. Period.

While practically every other person I know says no more Brady, I’m tired of him, he’s won it enough times, etc, I’M saying he’s still the best QB in the game right now and WHY wouldn’t you want to see the best QB in the game right now in the championship game?? Isn’t that the way it SHOULD be??

I DO NOT want to see an erratic QB like Blake Bortles when Tom Brady is still playing.

Anyone who is truly competitive, it doesn’t matter if it’s as a decent athlete or as a true thinker. You want to go against the best to see who’s truly at the ‘King of the Hill’. For bragging rights or in a more humble sense you want to measure yourself to see if you’re the best of the best.

Now imagine if you’re a top level athlete or thinker. You are among the cream of the crop. Who can handle the pressure and all the things we will never truly know about that in their sense..
But I imagine they want to go against the best to see if everything they’ve Devoted their Life to was worth it.. To prove it to themselves or their loved ones, or whatever their reason may be..

I wanna see the best play against the best. Sometimes it’s more about offense and sometimes it’s all defense. Still you are competing.

Winning by luck is cool but it’s different when you can dominate your opponent. Who can argue that?

One day I want to be able to say that my team the AZ Cardinals are dominating. Which would mean, playoffs, Conference Ships, Championships; a la New England. They are the Measuring Stick now.

People…you do remember Case Keenum is the Viking’s 3Rd string QB! (1.Bridgwater, 2. Bradford, 3. Keenum)…so much for the “he’s not worthy” argument.
Just this morning it was reported that the Cards were zeroing in on Munchurk which doesn’t come as a big surprise. Why do anything new and innovative when we continue with the same pattern that keeps the Cards backpedaling to mediocrity? I think a lot of fans were hopeful that we could finally define ourselves with an identity of our own and break out of the “Steelers West retirement program” niche. I just don’t believe the Cards were sincerely “aggressive” in this search, kinda feels like more of Keim’s “aggressive” drafts and FA hot air BS.

No arguement about the Eagles with Wentz. Granted, they blew out some pretty bad teams at home ( Bears, 49ers, Broncos, Cardinals at he time they played ) but Wentz is an amazing young QB. Yes, if he is still playing, the Eagles are absolutely the best team in the NFC. And Wentz is the league MVP.

BTW, how you think the Browns fans have been feeling this year as they watch Wentz play the way he’s played?

Regarding Bortles….you’re just not gonna sell me on him. He played a good game against Pittsburgh, yes. But if we’re being honest, when you look at many of the games Bortles played this year, it is clear they are where they are on the strength of their defense and their run game.

And, for me, what distinguishes Keenum from Foles is the fact that Keenum was their guy for basically the whole season and he has played VERY well, consistently. Foles played 3 games at the end of the season, beat a horrible Giants team, barely escaped a bad Raiders team ( and his own poor performance ), and was playing poorly again against the Cowboys before they sat him down.

Keenum and Foles may have had the same standing on the day the season started but over the course of the season, Keenum distinguished himself. Foles has not. Granted, Foles didn’t have as much opportunity as Keenum. But when Foles has played, most of it just hasn’t been that good.

I’ll say this – he played his best so far against Atlanta, after he shook off an iffy start. But the Eagles D was THE star of that game.

It is being reported that the Cards will announce they are hiring Steve Wilks as their HC later today, which wouldn’t be bad if he could get Haley as an OC or DiFillipo. After all the talk about the role the playoffs are playing in the search & hire, that doesn’t seem to have been the case.
Nice analysis of candidates by Mitchaz. I hope Wilks can recruit some of the outstanding young talent that’s out there for his staff, was hoping one of the candidates still in the SB running would pan out but can understand sticking with a winner.